Today, 22 September 2013, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, blessed the painting of the church in Copacenii de Jos locality, county of Ilfov. Besides His Beatitude, His Grace Varsanufie Prahoveanul was also present, celebrating the Divine Liturgy before the blessing of the painting. They were assisted by a group of priests and deacons.
After the celebration of the painting blessing, the Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church delivered a sermon for those present in which he explained the significance of the Evangelical pericope of Saint Luke the Evangelist, chapter 5:1-11, which presents the wonderful fishing of the Saviour.
In the Church success is not the result of the servants’ efforts, but first of all it is the work of the grace of God
The Patriarch of Romania explained the fact that “The first teaching that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, gives to His disciples is that the Gospel of Salvation is preached in the church, the same as Jesus did at the seashore, standing in the ship. After we listen to the Gospel and accomplish the commandments of Christ, because Peter too accomplished this commandment “Take the ship to the sea to deeper water”, we start feeling the work and power of God in our life. Only if we listen to His Gospel and obey Him, accomplishing His commandments, we start seeing the wonderful work of our transformation, changing, that Christ, our Lord, achieves in His Church through the Holy Spirit. Saint Peter the Apostle and the other disciples learned from this wonder of the unexpected fruitful fishing that in the church, success is not the result of the servants’ efforts, but first of all it is the work of the grace of God.”
Today’s Gospel is a Gospel of hope even when we see failure
His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel has also shown that the Gospel also teaches us that we must rely first of all on God’s help and then on our ability: “The help that Jesus Christ, our Lord, has given to the disciples is not a help given to some lazy fishermen. He has not made this wonder for the fishermen who slept all night, but for those who worked all night long and reached the conclusion that they could achieve what they wanted only by their own efforts. They were tired, resigned, and sad. Because He has seen their lowliness caused by too much effort, Christ, our Lord, changed their sadness into joy and the failure into a success they had not expected. We see that the wisdom of God is greater than the people’s ability and that when He wants to answer the efforts and the devoted prayer of the diligent people, He surprises them with His wonderful work by which He shows His love for them. The moment they were deadbeat the power of the grace of God started working. Today’s Gospel is a Gospel of hope even when we notice failure, even if we did our best, did everything we could, using our force, patience and effort. If we are waiting for the help of God with hope, this one will appear when He wants to and how He wants, but we are often surprised seeing how He shows us His help. Therefore, the Gospel of the wonderful fishing is a Gospel that combines two deep spiritual realities: lowliness and hope. It is the lowliness in failure and hope in the presence and work of Christ in our life.”
The painting cleaned of smoke and dust is a call to the renewal and bedecking of our life
His Beatitude has also spoken about the importance of the churches well cared for and bedecked with beautiful painting: “We have come today to confirm and appreciate your sacrifice, all the efforts you showed making this church and especially restoring and cleaning the painting. This church was begun in 1937 and passed through various stages of construction, so that today the beauty of its painting shows us that Heaven, God and His saints come down to earth so that they should spiritually raise us, the human beings, to Heaven. Here, in the Church, we meet the Most Holy Trinity, the Mother of God, the Saints Martyrs, Pious Saints and the Saints of all times and places united in the same right Orthodox faith as well as in the same grace of the Holy Spirit or of the Most Holy Trinity. It is an occasion of great joy when a church is built, but also when it is restored and its painting cleaned. The painting cleaned of smoke and dust is a call to the renewal and bedecking of our life. We must clean, rather often, our soul and body of the smoke and dust of the sins, through repentance and Holy Communion. Then, we become again the consecrated church, the image of God in which His beauty is seen in the devoted, diligent and generous humans”.
His Beatitude Daniel licensed parish priest Toma Cristian Lovisteanul as iconom, and awarded the Order of Saints Emperors Constantine and Helen to the former parish priest, Rev Lica Lepadatu. The mayor of Copacenii de Jos commune and a donor, a daughter of the village, were awarded the Order of Sanctus Stephanus Magnus for laics.
His Beatitude offered a new antimis, a blessing cross and several books for the church of Saint George. The Patriarch of Romania received an icon of Saint Daniel the Prophet on behalf of the community.
On his way back to Bucharest, His Beatitude visited the church of Saint Dimitrios of the parish of Capaceni Monastery.
